Folding table, shelf, or desk.



no. 7o|,6s6.

(No Model.)

E .WVM/Lease@ No. 70|,666. :Patented :une 3, |902.

` G. A.ANK. FOLDING TABLE, SHELF, ORDESK.

(Application med Apr. 1o. 1mm.)- muu'odel.) 2 sheets-sheet 2.

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UNT'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE ALVIN ANK, OF MOUNT CARROLL, ILLINOIS. i l

FOLDING TABLE, SHELF, OR DESK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 701,666, dated June 3,1902.

. Application filed April 10, 1899. Serial No. 712,442. (No model) Toall whom. t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE ALVIN ANK, a' citizen of the United States,residing at Mount Carroll, in the countyof Carroll and State ofIllinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in' FoldingTables, Shelves, or Desks; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear,` andexact description of the invention, such as will enable oth-IQ ers skilled in the art to which it 'appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to thefigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

My invention relates to a folding table, desk, or shelf; and it hasforits object to provide improved means for-holdingY or locking theshelf in its'horizontal position, the purpose of the improvement beingtosimplify zo the construction and operation of the locking means and tocheapen the cost of making the table.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter ap- 2 5 pear, the invention consists in the construction andin the combination of parts hereinafter particularly described and thensought to be specifically defined by the claim, reference being had tothe accompanying draw- 3o ings, forming a part hereof, and in which-Figure 1 is a perspective of a table, desk,

or shelf embodying my invention and showing the shelf in itshorizontal'position. Fig.

2 is a perspective of the latch detached from 3 5 the shelf.

the latch in full lines in position and in dotted lines the position itassumes in putting it in place or removing it therefrom.` Fig. 4 4o is avertical section through the parts as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is avertical section showing the leaf folded, and Fig. 6 is a perspective ofportions looking from the rear and showing the locking-latch inengagement with its catch. v

In the drawings the numeral 1 designates two uprights of suitablematerial adapted to be secured by suitable means to the wall or othersupport and which are connected to- 5o gether at their upper ends by across-piece 2 and at a lower point by a cross-piece 3, recessed into thestandards and held by bolts means of screws or bolts.,

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectionV through the latch-block or casing,showingA vided on its under side with angle-irons 8,

and to these irons may be pivotally connected one end of the brace-rods9, the other end of which may be pivotally connected to the lower partof the uprights l. i i

My improved catch consists of a block or casting 10, which is providedat one end with a pintle 11, adapted to lit in the slot 6 of the uprightstandard 1, and the block is secured tothe vertical iange of the`angle-iron 8 by The block 10 is formed with a socket 12 to receive thelatch 13, which is formed with a shoulder 14, adapted to abut againstthe inner end of the socket 12, so as to limit the forward movement ofthe latch. l The latch is formed with a rearwardly extending stem 15,which passes through an opening or slot 16, formed in the lug 17 at therear of the block or casting 10, and a spring 18, coiled around the stem15, normally holds the latch projected forward. One side of the socket12-that is, the side which fits next to the flange of the angle-iron8-is open, so as to permit the latch to beinserted in the socket fromthe side thereof, and

the opening or slot 16 in the lug 17 is elongated transversely or leftopen, so as to permit a lateral or swinging motion of the latch in itsinsertion and withdrawal from position after insertion of the stem inthe opening or slot 16. The forward end of the latch is adapted toengage with a catch 19, which projects from one side of a plate 20,which will be secured by bolts or screws to the inside of the uprightstandard. The upper and forward face of this catch is beveled orinclined, as shown, so that as the leaf is lowered the beveled end ,ofthe latch will contact with the beveled face of the catch and be forcedrearward by reason of its engagement therewith-until the leaf ICO islowered sufficiently to bring the latch bel low the catch, when thecoil-spring will project the catch forward and cause it to lock with thelower edge of the catch, and thus hold the leaf in its horizontalposition. This construction enables the parts of the catch to be cheaplymade and easily applied. The open side of the slot facing next to thefiange of the angle-iron will be closed by the angleiron, so that thelatch cannot move sidewise in its operation. The stem of the latch maybe extended practically forward to the front edge of the table or leaf,so thatit can be operated by hand, or, as there will be provided two ofthese latches, one for each side of the leaf and both adapted to operatein the same Way, their forward ends may be connected together by a cord,chain, or wire 2l, so that by pulling on the same both latches will bewithdrawn at the same time. The operation of the leaf is similar to thatdescribed in my United States Patent No. 593,828, dated November 16,1897, the construction of the parts, however, being diiferent. I alsoprovide at the top of the table a cabinet 22, which Will be provided atone or both ends with drawers 23 for spices, and within the cabinet willbe formed any desired number of bins 24, which will have taperingbottoms provided with valve-controlled delivery-spouts 25, one for eachbin, and so formed as to be best adapted for the particular materialcontained in the bin; and the bin designed for flour may have a sifterin its bottom or discharge-spout, which, however, it is not necessary toillustratein detail,as any approved pattern may be used.

When this In front of the cabinet 22 I also proshelf is not in use, itis dropped into the position shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and whenthe leaf 7 is dropped the shelf 26 and leaf 7 will conceal the workingparts,which lie back thereof.

The parts hereinbefore described can be made of any pattern desired andas ornamental as taste may dictate.

I have described in detail the preferred detail of construction andarrangement of the several parts; but it is obvious that changes can bemade therein without departing from the essential features of theinvention.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claim is-The combination with the cabinet formed with bins and discharge-spouts,of the standards or supports for the same, the folding leaf having itsrear pivotally and slidably connected to said standards or supports soas to move up toward the cabinet-bins in folding the leaf, said leafwhen lowered being adapted to support utensils beneath thedischarge-spouts of the bins, a hinged shelf in front of the cabinet andadapted when dropped to cover the space between the rear edge of thefolded leaf and the dischargespouts to the bins, and means forsustaining the leaf in its horizontal position, substantially as and forthe purposes described.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE ALVIN ANK.

Vitnesses:

WM. L. PUTERBAUGI-I, J. W. MILLER.

